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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. shower — rain
  3. present — the time now
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — of a river
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. pit — in a race
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. wound — an injury
  13. wound — an injury
  14. present — a gift
  15. perch — the fish
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. pit — a hole
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. shower — to wash
  23. sharp — clever
  24. present — there

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com